Ezra Levant nominates Staff Sergeant Dan McLean as Canada’s worst cop for selectively targeting David Menzies, a Rebel News reporter, over trivial pandemic violations like handshaking and laughing—charging only 12 of 600 attendees while ignoring others. McLean’s handwritten report, including irrelevant details, suggests political bias, with Bernier later jailed for eight hours at an eight-person gathering under similarly questionable charges. Police intimidation tactics, like restricting calls and pressuring Bernier to flee Manitoba, mirror repression in authoritarian regimes, raising concerns about overreach and media suppression during lockdown protests. [Automatically generated summary]
Today, I introduce to you a man I put it to you is Canada's worst cop.
That's a long list.
I'll make my case and I'll talk to the nominee, get his side of the story.
That's all I had.
Before I let you get to that, let me invite you to become a subscriber to Rebeloose Plus.
That's our premium video service.
You get the video version of this podcast, plus shows by Sheila Gonrie, David Menzies, and Andrew Chapatos.
That's all eight bucks a month.
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Here's today's show.
Tonight, I think I might have found Canada's worst cop.
It's June 14th, and this is the Ezra Levant Show.
Why should others go to jail when you're a biggest carbon consumer I know?
There's 8,500 customers here, and you won't give them an answer.
The only thing I have to say to the government about why I'm hoping is because it's my bloody right to do so.
Do you know who police are when they're at their best?
They're selfless servants who help us and who sometimes pay the ultimate price for it.
They're the kind of people who run towards danger when the rest of us are running away.
On 9-11, for example, hundreds of firefighters died in the Twin Towers, but so did 60 cops running into the towers to help save lives.
When you're in trouble, late at night, you don't call a social worker or a political pundit.
They don't even answer the phones.
Who's on guard 24 hours a day?
Who responds in minutes?
The police.
I say all this because police can be the best among us.
To serve and protect is a common police force motto.
Maintienne le droit is the motto of the RCMP.
That's French for uphold the right.
It could also be interpreted as uphold the law.
Those are the best people, and we take them for granted 99% of the time when we don't need them.
Most criticism of police, I think, is fake.
It's political posturing in the U.S., but also now in Canada.
There's a defund the police movement.
Yeah, how's that working out for you?
I noticed that the Defund the Police politicians sure aren't shy about calling for the police to protect them personally.
So that's cops.
And I say all this because I have to remind myself about all this.
I have to keep thinking about those cops rushing into the burning Twin Towers, the police saving lives, because I have to keep that memory alive in my mind so that I'm not poisoned by the hundreds, literally hundreds of examples of abusive, illegal, unconstitutional policing that I have seen in the past 15 months of the pandemic.
And the police's obsession with our Australian reporter, Abiyamini.
It was quite peaceful until this guy here is going to be placed under arrest right now.
I am here.
I need that.
I've got my permit in my pocket.
My permit is in my pocket.
I'm on.
I'm on.
For recording devices because you don't want to be recorded.
You remember how that happened?
Come back.
Thank you.
Here you go.
Guys, I don't want to go, so they're going to have to physically take me.
You can see here, it's against my will.
You can see here, guys, it's against my will.
As you can see here, I'm getting forced and pushed to the band.
What's this?
Hi, Avi.
My name's Alex.
I'm from Daniel Police Station.
Just got a letter here for you.
It's in relation to the protest tomorrow, mate.
What's your name?
First Constable Alex Lawrence from Daniel.
So this is a letter to.
What's it about?
It's in relation to the protest tomorrow, mate.
Yeah, so what's the letter you're sending me from the Commissioner?
The contents for yourself to have a read.
Why is he sending me letters?
What's up?
Why is he sending me letters?
What time is it?
It is 8:30, mate.
We've got several letters to deliver, so we're going to be off.
Hold on, are you going to go to channel 7, channel 9?
Are you going to channel 10's house tonight?
That's just our people.
Here's a case we're helping in our fight the fines battle.
I can't show you any more of that because I get disturbed for days watching that video.
This was just a week ago.
Record this.
What's online?
I'm not jumping out.
I've done nothing to.
I've not done nothing wrong.
I'm happy for you guys to just leave me alone.
I'm happy for you guys to just leave me alone.
Record this, Smith.
You're embarrassing me.
I've committed no crime and you know it.
That's Australia, but it's here in Canada too.
I mean, why is a police SWAT team taking down a Christian pastor in the middle of a busy highway, making him kneel down on the street while cars whiz by in the rain?
He's not charged with a crime.
Why did they do that in the highway?
Why did they arrest and jail this pastor in front of his children?
Why did they arrest and jail this pastor for 35 days?
Why did this out-of-control cop scream at and swear at and threaten to taser a kid for being on an outdoor ice rink?
It was actually an official city ice rink officially open.
Why are you guys cracking?
You guys just need to.
Why are you guys copying?
Hey, orcs, orcs, orcs.
Ocean, get on the fing ground.
Ocean.
Why are you making it?
Get ordering.
Get on the fing ground right now.
Orcs.
Ocean.
Ocean.
Why did police literally barge into a church in Ontario?
Please go ahead, officer.
Ladies and gentlemen, my name is David Miller.
Here's a mic.
I'm a court enforcement officer, commonly known as a sheriff.
I have a valid court order here today requiring the sheriff, that's me, and the assistants of the police to vacate everyone from the building, and we will be locking the building.
Why did police fine a man for sitting in his car alone drinking coffee?
If you come back, you will not be trespassing.
Does that include every Tim Hortons in town?
No, that's just one here in Hampton.
Just this one.
So if you come back, you're trespassing.
There's your ticket.
Please department.
Let's find another one.
The next one goes up to $1,000.
Really?
Yes.
You can get up to $10,000.
How many of you give it out today?
You're the first.
Well, I feel so good about it.
You're lucky.
You're the first.
You're the first out.
See my point?
I am so disgusted by the gross misconduct of so many police these days that I have to work hard to remind myself that police aren't just Gestapo-like bullies.
Please get out.
Get out of this property.
Immediately get out.
Get out of this property immediately.
Out.
I don't want to hear anything out of this property immediately.
I don't want to hear a word.
Ouch!
Ouch!
Out of this property!
Immediately until you come back with a warrant.
Out, out, out, out of this property.
Immediately out!
Immediately go out and don't come back.
I don't want to talk to you.
Not a word.
Out of this pro.
Out of this property.
Immediately out.
I don't care what you have to say.
Ouch!
Ouch!
Out of this property, you Nazis!
Ouch!
Ouch!
Gestapo is not allowed here.
Imagine that.
A pack of cops going into a church with guns.
I have to remind myself of the great police, too.
The selfless ones, the ones who actually, what's that called again?
That thing they used to do?
Oh, right.
The cops that actually fight against crime.
I have to remind myselves of those ones, the good guys.
Don't forget them.
Don't judge all cops by the bad apples.
So, do you have my position?
I like police who do police work.
I have no time for police who engage in thuggery, especially at the behest of politicians.
I mean, seriously.
This was because a barbecue restaurant was still selling sandwiches.
Sorry, that's not police work.
That's a political shock and awe campaign to scare people into not protesting, scare people into political submission.
There were children at that restaurant when the riot police charged on their horses.
So, so gross.
Or this from outside Toronto.
Or this.
Brian Pallister, the Premier Manitoba, tells a Canadian citizen, Maxime Bernier, who happens to be the leader of a political party, not to set foot in his province.
Bernier does, and he's arrested.
Afternoon, sir.
I can get you to step out of the vehicle.
place you under arrest right now yeah right now you're under arrest under the provincial health orders okay so if you can just put your hands behind your back face towards the vehicle Okay, give me one hand here.
I'll get you to see the vehicle, okay?
Thank you.
The other hand?
Do you have any weapons or anything on you, sir?
Weapon?
No, no weapon.
Only anything on you, only my words.
Anything like that?
Sorry?
Anything on you that's going to hurt me or anything like that?
No, no, anything would hurt you.
Only my words, only my philosophy, only what I believe in.
Okay?
All right, come on over this way.
So is that how it works now?
A premier of a province can have his enemies arrested, handcuffed, jailed.
Why was he handcuffed?
Was Maxime Bernier a violent threat?
Why was he jailed?
Why were police involved at all?
What crime is he alleged to have committed?
So you can see why I have to keep reciting my mantra.
It's not all cops like this.
Cops save our lives.
Cops are there when we were in trouble.
Well, not all the time.
Our reporters were covering an anti-lockdown protest in Toronto, and someone threw projectiles down at them from a high apartment.
The police were right there, but they couldn't be bothered to do anything.
They literally told us, go to the police station and fill it out, some paperwork.
So, yeah, just close your eyes and think of a time when police were the good guys.
And we're going to get to the police station.
Hang on to that.
I'm sure trying to.
I should probably start an award for best cop of the year because I need to hear more stories like that.
I need to hear more good news about police like that.
Because I have to tell you, I think I might have found the worst cop in Canada.
The worst.
Not the most violent.
That dishonor probably goes to the Toronto Police.
What a disgrace they've been.
Not the most corrupt cop.
That dishonor goes to the Montreal Police, and it's not even close.
The cop I found is not the stupidest cop.
That goes to the town of Aylmer, Ontario.
No, I think I've just found the worst cop.
You might think I'm talking about this loser, bylaw officer Michael Giesbrecht, who literally gave a ticket to our head of video, Efro Monsanto, for the crime of shaking someone's hands.
Hey, Afro.
How's it going, man?
Officer David First City of Hamilton bylaw.
I have you here in violation of the reopening of Ontario Act, gathering with a crowd of more than five people.
So that's a pre-written ticket again, just for the record.
I had the picket made up inside when I saw you out here.
So what was I doing exactly when I was talking to one of the protesters here?
Walking around, getting within three meters.
Oh, that's how it is.
Well, so if I just talk to someone that's within two meters, oh, that's that's oh, I guess I'm breaking a law there.
Okay, you gotta be there.
What a loser that bylaw cop is.
What a disgrace.
What a fool.
What an embarrassment.
I'm pretty cool with tattoos.
You know, they're not for me, but I don't really care.
I like making conversation with people, asking what their tattoos are all about.
Great way to make friends.
But I really think that handshaking cop has a My Little Pony tattoo on his arm.
Can you make that out?
I think that's a unicorn or something, but I think it's actually a My Little Pony tattoo.
It sounds about right for a cop handing out a ticket for handshaking.
What an embarrassment to the profession he is.
But Michael Giesbrecht is not the worst cop in Canada.
In fact, I'm not even sure if he counts as a cop.
He's just a bylaw officer.
I hereby nominate Staff Sergeant Dan McLean of the Peterborough Police as the worst cop in Canada.
And if you think I'm wrong, I challenge you to tell me a worse one.
Again, not the most violent, that's Toronto, not the most corrupt, that's Montreal, not the dumbest, that's Elmer, not the most politicized.
That would be Trudeau's RCMP.
I just mean the worst.
So our friend, our great reporter, David Menzies, great journalist.
In fact, he's the winner of the Rebbe Award for Pandemic Journalism.
He's unstoppable.
He covers everything.
Even from the very early days when we didn't know much about the virus, he would go to the airport and report on all the planes landing from China.
And as you can see, David would sometimes wear a mask where appropriate.
But of course, it doesn't make sense to wear a mask when you're outside.
And when you're a reporter, reporters have to speak into a microphone or speak to other people.
They don't wear masks doing that.
I also know this because Justin Trudeau has showed me that.
I mean, here's Trudeau just over the weekend of the G7 meeting, no mask, right next to a bunch of other strangers without masks.
So it's good enough for him.
It's good enough for us, right?
So David was covering a news event in Peterborough in April where various people, including Randy Hillier and Maxine Bernier, were protesting the lockdowns.
And by the way, covering the news is considered an essential service.
And a lot of other media were there too.
It was big news.
That was a couple months ago.
But then David gets this delivered to his home.
A summons to court for covering that event in Peterborough.
David is being charged with violating Section 10-1 of the Reopening Ontario Act.
What a laugh that misleading law is called.
Section 10.1 is a basic enforcement of anti-gathering orders.
So that order can be pre-existing or a cop can announce it on the spot.
But look at this.
Compliance with order.
Every individual who is on the premises shall comply with the order to temporarily close the premises by promptly vacating the premises after being informed of the order.
David was not told of any order to close any premises or leave any place.
And David was not there as part of any gathering, but rather as a journalist reporting on him.
This is obviously junk law harassing David because he's the Rebbe Award-winning journalist covering the pandemic, telling this story the media party won't and the political class hates because he's not a government shill.
Anyway, so it's a summons and obviously we've provided a lawyer for David.
We're going to fight this all the way.
And we asked the prosecutor, the police, for what's called disclosure.
That's the police case against David.
It's all their notes.
In Canadian law, the cops have to give you a copy in advance of everything they have and not just what they want to give you, but everything, including things that could exculpate you.
Illegal Handshaking Leads to Charges00:14:51
And we got the disclosure from the cops.
You can see the front page here.
And it is amazing, and it is disgraceful, and it is embarrassing to the police, I mean.
And it's why I am nominating Staff Sergeant Dan McLean of the Peterborough Police as Canada's worst cop.
Now, it's 22 pages long.
A lot of it's just weird.
And it reminds you of how much power and information the government has about you.
I don't mean to embarrass young David Menzies, but they disclosed every speeding ticket the lad ever had, including one going back almost 40 years.
I'm serious.
They've included the fact that in 1981, David Menzies ran a yellow light.
Do you see that there?
Capital punishment is too lenient for such a criminal.
Let me read for you excerpts from the complaint typed up by Staff Sergeant Dan McLean in his official report, which is why David's being charged.
Going back to the summer of 2020, several community members and organizations have been organizing demonstrations to protest against the provincial government's COVID-19 restrictions.
Members of these groups have been holding demonstrations every Saturday out front of City Hall on George Street.
These demonstrations have grown from 10 to 15 participants to between 500 and 600 persons.
The defendant, David Menzies, lives in Richmond Hill, Ontario, and is a reporter for the Rebel News Media Outlet.
Menzies is active on social media in the anti-lockdown movement across southern Ontario.
Hang on, hang on, stop there for a second.
That's not true.
David is actually the least active person on social media in our company.
To be candid, I'm not sure if he even knows how to do that stuff.
The only thing he ever tweets on Twitter, for example, are simply rebel news stories that he himself starred in.
That's it.
You'll never see him comment on other things.
He never gets into flame wars or Twitter feuds.
He just doesn't.
But this cop, Dan McLean, is trying to paint him as an organizer as opposed to what he is, a reporter covering the news.
And then the next sentence is just as gross.
Menzies has attended and reported on protests across Ontario and Montreal.
Okay, why is that relevant other than what they're clearly trying to do, what clearly motivates them here?
This is a political charge, a political vendetta.
They want him punished not for any health violation or whatever, but because he doesn't cheer for government lockdowns.
Let me read some more.
Menzies has posted a video on Rebel News dated April 13th of being arrested by Montreal police.
In that video, Menzies was observed struggling with police during his arrest.
David didn't post that to Rebel News.
Our own team did.
Just stop with the little lies.
It was a false arrest.
We're actually, as you know, suing the Montreal police for that violence against us and other violence against our staff.
It just doesn't stop in Montreal.
But again, what's that got to do with David in Peterborough, Ontario in April, other than trying to paint him as some sort of organizer?
That's a lie.
As a promoter of the event on social media, that's a lie.
And violent, that's a lie.
Then Staff Sergeant Dan McLean describes the protest on April 24th in Peterborough and says, this attracted participants from outside Peterborough, which included the defendant David Menzies.
But why are you lying again, David McLean?
Excuse me, Dan McLean.
David Menzies was no more a participant in that protest than the police were.
They were both there in reaction to the protest, to respond to the protest.
David was there to do a news report about it, like other reporters were, and the cops were there to do whatever it is that they do these days.
Hey, dumb question.
If the case against David is so strong here, why is this story so fake and so full of BS?
Then here's the dramatic moment in the report.
At 1247 hours, Staff Sergeant McClain made note and observed Menzies approach and greet Mr. Bernier by shaking Mr. Bernier's hand.
Well, off with his hat.
I mean, why even have a trial?
Straight to Guantanamo Bay.
The two stood next to each other and engaged in a conversation.
Neither person was wearing a mask or maintaining the required two-meter physical distancing.
After a short conversation, Menzies could be seen interviewing Mr. Bernier on the grass just off the stage area.
Yeah, that's called journalism.
Ask a guy for an interview and then interview him.
That's what we do.
And only a total nut would do that with a mask on.
Not even the CBC does that with a mask on.
And then this.
On one occasion, shortly after 13, 30 hours, while Mr. Hillier was speaking, Staff Sergeant McClain could hear a large portion of the crowd yelling, shame, shame, shame, get out, get out, at officers who had just issued Maxine Bernier a ticket.
Okay, thanks, Staff Sergeant McClain.
I know that hurt your feelings and all, but what does that have to do with David Menzies?
He wasn't part of the chanting.
This is now, what, the fourth little gem that's just been added to this report that's got nothing to do with David Menzies, but is absolutely designed to make it look like Menzies is an organizer, is a troublemaker, is violent, is jeering cops, whatever.
None of that is true.
That's called a goddamn lie.
What stands out is it's all political.
They know they have to do more than just say David Menzies interviewed Randy Hillier or Maxine Bernier.
So they're juicing it up a bit, Canada's worst cop.
But I think this is why Menzies was charged.
He embarrassed the chief of police there.
Never embarrassed a chief of police.
Staff Sergeant McLean moved over to this location and stood beside Chief Gilbert, who was involved in a conversation with one of the speakers, MPP Randy Hillier.
Staff Sergeant McClain observed Menzies in this scrum, shoulder to shoulder with other participants.
Menzies could be seen on video shoving his handheld mic in the face of Police Constable McGill.
Menzies was attempting to obtain some kind of statement from Constable McGill after issuing Mr. Bernier a ticket.
Police Constable McGill did not respond back to Menzies' repeated requests.
Got it?
Don't embarrass the chief.
Don't embarrass cops or they'll get you.
It goes on and on like this, but then it just gets absurd.
They were taking photos and videos of David in action, and not only was he shaking hands, which the cops say is illegal, but they caught him laughing.
One photo shows Menzies and Mr. Hillier standing next to each other both are laughing while Mr. Hillier has his left hand on Menzies' right shoulder.
Illegal handshaking leads to illegal laughing and that can lead to illegal hand-on-shoulder.
Seriously, look at these notes from Staff Sergeant McLean's police notebook.
Observed Mr. Bernier shake hands with mail reporter from Rebel News and then a detailed description of what David was wearing.
So two days after the big event, Staff Sergeant Dan McLean sat down in his office and started snooping through YouTube videos.
There were 600 people there, so who are they going to charge?
Well, here's what he says he was doing.
Going through video from protests, attempting to identify organizers and persons who were aggressive.
But hang on, that's not our David Menzies.
He was neither an organizer nor was he aggressive other than asking questions and just getting no answers.
But look at this.
I formed grounds on all the individuals that they breached Section 10.1, Reopening Ontario Act, by not wearing masks and not maintaining physical distance.
But no one there did.
Not a single person.
600 people were there.
No one distanced.
No one wore masks.
So why did they choose charges against David Menzies?
No other media wore masks too that I can see.
I looked through a lot of videotape.
I just couldn't see any.
So why did police charge just David Menzies but no other media?
Here's David Menzies reaching over a provincial elected legislator, Randy Hillier, to capture him talking to the chief of police.
I think that's what bugged the cops.
This is literally the entire page 16 in their disclosure package.
This is what filled the police with rage.
Here's the next page, page 17.
Here's the dreaded shoulder touch evidence.
Wow, straight to jail.
Here's page 21.
Here's their photographic proof that David shook a nice lady's hand.
You know, they're almost six feet apart there.
It looks like it was only for a moment, but remember, I'm reading to you from the police disclosure document.
This is what they're giving to the prosecutors to prosecute David over.
This is their evidence.
I'm not even kidding.
But this is what they hate more than anything else.
This is page 15 of the disclosure.
Here it is.
David Menzies and Randy Hillier were having a laugh together.
That is in their book of evidence.
That is so infuriating to them that Staff Sergeant Dan McLean actually put it in his written report.
We've seen people arrested for shaking hands before, but now we've seen them being arrested, or at least being charged rather, for laughing.
Staff Sergeant Dan McClain is Canada's worst worst cop.
I'm sorry.
And you know, I called him up.
I saw his phone number in this disclosure, and I just called him up.
I told him I thought he was Canada's worst cop, and I wanted to hear his side of things.
And he talked to me.
And here's how some of that went.
I am calling you Canada's worst cop, which is pretty stinging.
And I thought I'd check and see if you had anything to say.
As far as doing my job as a police officer?
Yeah, I think you're doing it in the worst possible way.
Giving people tickets for laughing, for handshaking.
I think you're really abusing the law for political reasons.
During a pandemic and following the legislation according to the law and what it states under the Reopening Ontario Act, as far as the law and what the law states regarding maintaining two-meter physical distancing, and if you can't do that, then you have to wear a mask.
Yeah, is that what you're referring to?
Is that what you're referring to, sir?
That is.
That is exactly what I'm referring to.
Are you aware of what the law, the Reopening Ontario Act, states with respect to physical and social distancing?
I've read the law.
I've read the law.
Can you explain to me what the law states with respect to social distancing and physical distancing?
Now, that's a weird question to ask me.
He's the cop.
I'm asking him about the enforcement of the law.
He's asking me what the law says.
Now, it's clear, right, that he was asking me ironically, sarcastically, as in he's testing my knowledge to show that he's smarter than me, right?
Except that the Reopening Act, Ontario Reopening Act, doesn't actually say anything about social distancing or masks.
The words just do not exist in the law.
Look for yourself.
Now, the word mask does appear in the regulations to that law and health orders that are updated all the time.
That is true.
Here's the orders that were in effect the day of the protest David Menzies was covering.
You can see the word mask appears 43 times in the regs, but masks are specifically exempted for TV journalists doing interviews.
Section F, performing or rehearsing a film or television production.
When Canada's worst cop asked me if I knew the law, I don't think he was trying to rub it in that he knew more than me.
I think he was actually asking me, maybe I could help him understand what the law was because TV production is exempt from masks.
So I asked Staff Sergeant Dan McClain why he only targeted David.
600 people there.
Why are you targeting just him?
And I want to know if you've charged any other reporter in the country or just David Menzies.
Sir, I've asked you a question.
You're asking me one in response, but you still haven't answered my question.
Okay, which I'm calling you.
I think it's pretty integral to you and reporting it fairly and objectively.
Because you're saying he broke the law.
You're trying to say he broke the law.
Is that what you're saying?
As the law states under the Reopening Ontario Act, and what we're doing is wear masks outside when they're reporting.
Does any journalist in the country have to wear a mask when they're reporting or just David Menzies?
Sir, I am a public official, and when I am conducting my work, when I'm outside in public, I'm not exempt from not wearing a mask while I'm performing my duties.
Actually, here is the latest version of the lockdown in Ontario simply doesn't have anything about outdoor masks.
Nothing you can look it up.
Here's some more.
Have you charged any other reporters ever?
I mean, there were a bunch of reporters at that event.
Did you charge anyone else or just David?
So some of the other reporters were wearing masks, sir.
Yeah, not that I saw, but that's his way of saying David Menzies was the only reporter charged.
Tell me one other who was.
Here's more.
Now, I see that you have a picture of David shaking hands with a lady.
They're actually fairly far apart.
Is that an offense in your mind, shaking hands with someone on the street?
If you're not maintaining the physical distancing and not wearing a mask, then at that time, that is an offense under the Reopening Ontario Act.
Do you understand that?
Do you think that's the law?
That it's illegal to shake hands on the street?
You really think so?
You think so, eh?
We're going to have to build some more courthouses if that's the case.
Here's some more.
Before we go on to the next question, how can you argue the fact that he's not committing an offense when he's in a crowd, he's not maintaining the two meters physical distance because it's selective enforcement.
Not wearing a mask.
It's selective enforcement.
It's selective enforcement.
Okay, so it's not selective enforcement.
It is the facts of the law and understanding.
Why did you choose him?
Why did you choose the facts of the law?
How many people did you give tickets to for this same offense?
How many, or was it just David or how many others?
No, no.
There was a number of individuals that had received.
600 people there.
How many got tickets?
600 people there.
How many got tickets?
As far as the total number of tickets, I think we've released that.
I think from the top of my head, I'm thinking 12 from the top of my head.
Selective enforcement.
12 out of 600 people charged.
You saw his reasoning.
It was in his report.
David was chatting with people.
Selective Enforcement00:07:57
He was laughing with people.
He was interviewing people.
And more than any of that, he was just plain old embarrassed the police chief by asking questions.
That's why they targeted him.
Well, why are you pulling me over for speeding?
Look, there's 500 other people there for speeding.
We cannot pull everybody over for speeding.
It is impossible.
The same as 600 people at the rally.
It's physically impossible.
And then everybody says, well, why me?
Well, why?
And that's every person that gets a ticket says the same thing.
Why me?
Everyone says that.
I'm not sure if everyone says that when they're pulled over for a traffic ticket.
I think people know why they were pulled over because they were speeding.
But when you literally have a gathering of 600 people and then you meticulously spend 10 days choosing and selecting, it actually becomes a real question.
Why him and not her?
It's not just who you happen to pull over at any moment on a highway.
This was planned in advance.
Let me refer to Staff Sergeant McClain's handwritten notes.
This was targeting organizers, people they said were aggressive.
David was not an organizer.
David was not aggressive.
He was not an organizer or a participant.
They lied because they want to get him for political reasons.
The facts in issue are not favorable for Mr. Menzies.
So that's the issue, the facts in issue as far as you will report, oh, police charge Mr. Menzies for laughing.
Well, that's not accurate.
And it's misleading.
No, I'm sorry.
That's not good enough.
The fact that David was laughing was specifically mentioned in his written report.
It was important enough that it was photographed and included when only a handful of photos.
It was clearly something that bothered the police.
They wanted to wipe that smile off his face.
They were outraged with him.
If laughing was irrelevant, why was it mentioned specifically?
Why was there a photo of the laughing anything else you want to tell me?
Just that I would like you to report it in a fair, factual manner and that emphasis on the facts in issue.
Okay, well, I'll do my best, and I appreciate your, and I will, and you'll see.
I don't have anything personal against Rebel News, Mr. Menzies, or you, sir.
Okay.
We are fair, try to be as fair and impartial.
And maybe you can write this down, that we try to be as fair and impartial as we possibly can, but knowing that we cannot please everyone and that there will be people that are going to be upset.
And we cannot charge everyone.
It's just physically impossible.
You know, it was a frustrating 15 minutes with that cop.
I was actually surprised that he would talk to me at all about a case that hasn't been in court yet.
I think it's a bit weird for a cop to speak at length about a case before he has to appear as a witness in that case.
I agree with some of the things that what he says, I got to tell you.
In fact, I think he softened me a little bit.
These laws are ridiculous.
They are not evenly enforced, and his job is to enforce them.
Why get mad at a law enforcement officer for enforcing laws he didn't write?
Why not get mad at the fools writing those laws?
And by the way, those aren't even elected officials.
You think MPPs vote on these laws?
These are regulations passed by unknown, unnamed, unaccountable public health bureaucrats.
Now, that does cut some ice with me.
I'll tell you, he changed my mind a couple of degrees, but not a lot, because out of 600 people who attended that day, 588 went home without a ticket.
Only 12 were targeted.
And unlike Staff Sergeant McClain's analogy to random speeding tickets, this was anything but random.
They poured over pictures and videos for days.
They made lists.
They scoured Facebook posts.
They creeped individuals out there.
They labeled people as political troublemakers.
That's why they chose David Menzies as the only reporter to charge.
I asked this cop five times why he chose David Menzies and he wouldn't answer any time.
Well, that's an answer in itself, isn't it?
So there you have it.
Is he Canada's most violent cop?
No.
That's probably someone in Toronto.
Is he the most corrupt cop?
No, obviously that dishonor goes to Montreal.
The stupidest cops are to be found in Aylmer.
But for singling out our REPL News reporter who has a TV mask exemption, who is outdoors, singling him out for the offense of shaking hands with a lovely old lady, and then singling him out for the offense of laughing and taking surveillance photos of the handshaking and the laughing and then defending that as normal policing,
I hereby nominate Staff Sergeant Dan McLean of Peterborough as Canada's worst cop.
What do you think?
Let me know.
And if you want to help David Menzies and stand with him, well then go to standwithmenzies.com because we are going to fight this all the way.
And we've got a few more questions for Staff Sergeant McClain, except for this time, he'll be under oath when he answers them.
Go to standwithmenzies.com if you're with me.
Stay with us for more.
Good afternoon, sir.
Yes, yes.
With the RCMP.
Yeah.
I can get you to step out of the vehicle and I'm going to place you under arrest right now.
Yeah.
Right now you're under arrest under the provincial health orders.
Okay, so if you can just put your hands behind your back, face towards the vehicle.
Okay, give me one hand here.
I'll get you to see the vehicle, okay?
Yep.
The other hand?
Do you have any weapons or anything on you, sir?
Weapon?
No, no weapon.
Only anything on you, only my words.
Anything like that?
Sorry?
Anything on you that's going to hurt me or anything like that?
No, no, anything would hurt you.
Only my words.
Only my philosophy.
Only what I believe in.
Okay?
All right, come on over this way.
I'll explain a few things to you here right away.
That's the footage of People's Party leader Maxime Bernier being arrested, handcuffed, put in the back of a police vehicle, and later taken to jail all for the non-crime of attending a political gathering.
I emphasize the non-crime because it was no one less than Justin Trudeau's RCMP who did the arresting.
Although you'll notice the police officer was wearing a under armor ball cap.
It was just some other brand.
He wasn't wearing his uniform.
Just a little wrinkle of oddness there.
Well, joining us now to talk about this.
Now safely freed from jail and back in Quebec is Maxime Bernier, who joins us now.
Maxime Bernier, welcome back to Quebec.
Tell us what happened after you were put into the back of the police vehicle.
How long were you in the back of the vehicle?
Where did they take you from then?
And what did they say?
First of all, Ezra, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to speak to Canadians about that.
You know, you're right saying since the beginning that it was not about COVID.
It was not about respecting regulations.
It was about political repression.
Risk in Winnipeg00:11:20
Actually, the Premier of Manitoba, Mr. Palliser, said before, Thursday before, that if I'm going to Manitoba, my wallet will have to be open and it's at my own risk.
And that was, he doesn't want to have any Canadians, politicians speak against these dragoning lockdowns.
So yes, when I was in the car, first of all, I was very surprised to be arrested.
My lawyer told me that, you know, there's a risk that you'll be arrested.
And I was arrested actually after the second get-together that I did.
And the rule over there, their unconstitutional rule over there is if you are more than five person outside in a park, it's illegal.
So at the first meeting with my people, my partisan in a little village, we were out there in a public park.
We were about 15 and they gave me the first ticket.
And after that, they said to me, you know, if you're doing another event out there with more than five people, you have a risk to be arrested.
So I spoke with my lawyers and they told me you have a strong case.
That's your constitutional rights.
You can do it.
That's a big risk, but it would be your decision.
And I decided to do the second event in Saint-Pierre Jolie, near Winnipeg, about an hour south of Winnipeg, a little town over there.
And we were only eight person with myself.
And I was the only one who had the tickets.
I was the only one who was handcuffed.
And that was really political.
And when I was in the car, policemen told me that, you know, we're going to go to the station, the police station in that same village.
I was there for eight hours, usually they let you do some phone calls, but they were very strict and they said to me, you have the right to do two phone calls to your lawyer and that's it.
So I called my lawyers two times and after that I asked if I can call my wife.
They said no, I was in the jail alone, with no bed and and nothing uh, for eight hours um, and but the the crown wanted me to uh be um, able to, to live and to be free again on certain conditions.
And the condition was against my own freedom, my own charters, my own right to speak, my freedom of speech, because they were asking the judge to be sure that I won't be able to communicate on social media, to do any rallies and things like that.
A lot of conditions, and I was pleased with the judge.
The judge said, okay, the only condition will be for Bernier to pay a thousand bucks to be sure that he will be back in court july the 27th and um, and that's that was.
And the other condition was to respect the law, like every Canadian must respect the law.
So I said yes to that that, and the police asked me um after, I think I was free, at around 11 o'clock p.m that day.
I was in jail around two o'clock p.m, so about eight nine, nine hours, and the police were very uh strict with me and they said, you must leave the province early tomorrow morning.
And they followed us when I was driving to my hotel to be sure that i'm going to my hotel.
I was feeling like being in a communist country.
And the day after I took the first flight to Montreal um, and I will be back.
I will fight that.
But as I had a decision to take at that time, because we had a rally planned, actually that friday night that has been canceled but we had a rally, a real rally open to public in Winnipeg at two o'clock p.m.
The saturday, so I took the decision to leave the the province and not going to that rally because for me, the uh I, I had another, maybe i'll be in jail, but because doing that rally and I said you know I cannot be in jail until the 27th of july, because the 27th of july was the date and is the date for me to be back in court.
So the risk was too huge for me to stay a couple of weeks in jail.
I'm a politician, i'm campaigning and we, as you know, we will have an electoral campaign this uh this fall, so our party must be ready, and I was unable to take that chance, so I that's why I left uh the province, But I'll be back.
I'll be back to campaign there as soon as I will be able to do it.
Well, there's so many things you said there.
And by the way, I think you're right.
We've seen a Christian pastor in Edmonton spend 35 days in a maximum security jail.
So the threat of you being in prison for a month is not as far-fetched as it would sound.
I want to ask you about two things you mentioned.
Did you say that the crown prosecutor wanted to ban you from using social media?
Absolutely, absolutely.
And after that, in the press release, they denied that, but they did it.
And my lawyer argued, and they didn't want me to use social media to use social media for do some rallies and using social media to organize rallies, to speak against lockdowns, a lot of details, conditions like that, that we say no to that.
And I was pleased with the judge and said, no, no, a thousand bucks is okay.
And Bernie would be back and we'll have a discussion in court in July, at the end of July.
Well, that's so outrageous that they would try and censor you on Twitter or elsewhere.
That just shows how political it is.
Now, you mentioned that you promised to obey the law and you would come back in July for court.
And that sounds appropriate, but then you said the police wanted you out of the province really on the next flight.
Was that part of the judge's order or was that the police rushing you out of town?
Did the judge say you have to get out on the next flight or was that the cops?
Yeah, that was the judge.
That was the cop.
After my release, they were asking me, where are you going?
I said, I'm going to my hotel.
And they were saying, okay, and we suggest to you that you must leave as soon as possible this province.
We will follow you everywhere in this province and you may be back in jail depending on what you're doing.
So that was a strong, strong advice from me to leave as soon as possible the province.
And but that came from the cops, not from the judge, just to be crystal clear.
Yeah, not from the judge, from the cop.
That's unbelievable.
You know, I have to tell you, I follow politics in other countries sometimes, like in Russia and Venezuela and places like that that are not free.
And the harassment of political opposition, false arrests, trumped up charges, police being used as political enforcers.
That's something that when it happens in Russia or Venezuela, we speak out about it.
That feels like what happens in Manitoba.
You had the premier and you had a mayor threaten you with arrest.
It happened.
And the police basically admitted they were there to enforce Brian Palliser's will.
I find that deeply troubling.
Absolutely.
You know, and also, like you said in the beginning, I was surprised that the RCMP didn't have all their uniform.
And somebody told me because it may be cops coming from Winnipeg and not cops working in that little town over there.
And so it was a little bit bizarre that didn't have their jeans and not their straight uniform, as you know.
That's unusual.
I'm putting aside the hat thing.
I just thought it stood out.
I mean, normally you don't see a sponsored brand like Nike or Underarm on police.
At least I'm not familiar with that.
Why did they handcuff you?
I've never, you know, the idea that, I mean, you're a senior politician.
You've been a cabinet minister.
You know, as far as I've known, you've never in your entire life had a history of crime or violence.
Why did they handcuff you?
Why did they take you to jail?
This isn't even a, you weren't charged with any crime, let alone a violent crime.
Why the handcuffs?
And how long were the handcuffs on you?
You know, when I was in the car, when I was at the police station, I still had them.
And I think I had for one hour, something like that.
And after that, they put me in jail.
But usually, things like that, it will take two or three hours and you'll have a discussion with a judge and you'll be out on certain conditions.
But for me, it took eight hours.
I think they wanted to intimidate me.
They wanted to be sure that I understand that I'm not welcome.
That was part of the intimidation game, I believe.
I have one last question for you.
We were interested.
Now, it happened sort of at the close of the day, so some folks might have been heading home.
But, you know, it was such a dramatic thing to arrest a political party leader.
I tried to imagine what would happen if Stephen Harper were the prime minister and the RCMP under him would have arrested and jailed Elizabeth May.
I think it would have been the top story on the newscast at night, and I think it would have been the front page of the newspapers the next day.
And I think there would have been calls for investigations of police overreach.
I don't read all the mainstream media, so perhaps I missed something.
But was there an outcry from civil liberties groups or from the media about this?
I didn't see it.
Maybe I just missed it.
No, absolutely not.
Not in English, not in French.
You know, for them, it's like business as usual, and they don't like what I'm saying.
That's why it was political, political repression.
And I'm very, I don't trust any more mainstream media like you, Ezra.
It's a political party and didn't give me.
That's the first interview I'm doing, actually, Ezra.
And I didn't have any call for a radio station interview, mainstream radio station or mainstream newspaper or mainstream TV.
No, they put something out there that I was in jail.
That's it.
And next news.
That's incredible.
And I'm worried that they're trying to cancel you, to deplatform you.
And I'm worried that they actually would like you to be a political prisoner.
And whether or not people agree with you or disagree with you, we should all be terrified that a political leader could be jailed in so clearly a politicized police mission.
I'm very disturbed by this.
Worries About Mainstream Media00:01:00
I appreciate you making time for us.
And please also make time for our new Quebec-based reporter, Alexandre Lavoie, who reports in both French and English.
I know she'll be very interested in telling your story to our viewers in Quebec as well.
Thank you.
I'll do that, Ezra.
Thank you very much.
Have a nice day.
Thank you, you two.
There you have it, Maxime Bernier, the leader of the People's Party, joining us via Skype.
Stay with us.
more ahead.
Thanks very much for watching today's show.
It was a very long monologue.
What do you think?
Was I unfair to Staff Sergeant Dan McLean?
Am I overdoing it by saying he's the worst?
I say it's not the most violent, something like that, but you're literally charging a man for laughing and handshaking.
I think you got to own it.
All right, that's our show for today.
Until tomorrow, on behalf of all of us here, to you at home, good night.